Emergency Care for Snake and Spider Bites

Feb 27, 2017 11:46AM
● Published by Dia

Some snake and spider bites are harmless while others are accompanied with venomous that lead to substantial harm and in some case fatality. To be safe, treat all snake and spider bites as poisonous and before the bitten person is taken or goes to the hospital, it is necessary to give emergency care for snakes or spider bites.

Emergency Care for Spider Bites

The symptoms of a spider bite include swelling, redness, itching, and pain. Its emergency care includes:

Contact a doctor or get emergency medical treatment

Clean the bitten area with water and soap

Remain calm and still, to minimize the spread of the venom

Apply an ice pack or cold compress to the bitten area

If you can harmlessly do so, take a picture or description of the spider; this can help medical professionals to identify the spider.

If the bitten person develops clammy and pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness, increased heart rate, weakness, he or she should be treated for shock.

If it is safe to do so, take a picture or description of the snake to help the doctor with the snake identification.

Don’ts:

Wash the bitten site, as the residual venom will assist the doctor to recognize the snake type

Put the site of the bite higher than the heart level

Apply a cold compress to the bitten area

Incise or suck the venom

Eat or drink

The Takeaway

If you encounter the above-mentioned symptoms of bites, ensure that you give the correct and efficient emergency care for snake and spider bites and observe the Do’s and Don’ts. For more information about spider and snake bites or to schedule an appointment with us call your nearest Complete Care ER.